The Shadow of Tyburn Tree

en rapport,or twas by the merest fluke. But the very last remark I made to him before he left this room was to the effect that it being after midnight, we were in All Fools' Day. He'll not have forgotten that, and nothing will ever persuade him now that I was not a party to your plot.'

'It seems that I have caused you to lose him for good, then. For that I ask your pardon; and I hope that it will give you no serious regret.'

'Nay. I fear that poor Charles Fox will be gravely disappointed; but he knew to begin with that he could count on me only if I found that my inclinations marched with his interests. As for myself, you were right in contending that I might scratch a Russian and find a Tartar. Russian women may like such violent handling by their lovers, but I find that I have a preference for quieter ways. I am not easily scared, but, I'll confess now, that I was more than a little frightened by the thought of his coming back to me to-night.'

'God be thanked, then, that it occurred to me to go to Droopy.'

Georgina suddenly sat forward from her pillows. 'Roger! I had for­gotten! By doing so you have made yourself liable for this wretched debt again.'

' 'Tis true,' he answered, with a rueful smile. 'But I shall repay Droopy just as I had intended to pay the Russian. I can still collect my money from the funds, and sell my mare and other things.'

A look of great tenderness came over her face, as she said: 'Oh, Roger, darling! You make me feel monstrous mean in having treated you so. I have but this moment realised that, though we have been lovers for five long months, you have given a whole year's income to spend another night with me. Never in my life have I been paid so great a compliment, and never shall again.'

His blue eyes twinkled. 'Am I then restored to favour, and about to spend the night with you?'

'How can you ask?' Her glowing smile was in itself an embrace'.

'You have been such a wicked baggage that I'm not sure I want to,' he teased her.

'BeastI' she cried. 'When I have you here I'll pay you out for that.'

'I have not decided yet if I've a mind to play proxy to your earlier visitor.'

'Enough, Sir! Thou knowest full well that thou art the only man that I have ever truly loved, or ever shall. Come to my arms this instant.'

Slowly he took off the blue silk robe that he was wearing and laid it over a chair. For a moment he bent above her, then her soft arms closed round his neck. He was twenty and she was twenty-one. Both of them could look forward to ten thousand to-morrows without a care, and this night was theirs.

The hours sped all too swiftly. It was as though the healing of this, their first serious difference in all their lives, had knit them together more closely than ever before. They dozed a little now and then, his arm about her shoulders, her dark head pillowed on his chest; . but in the main, between caresses, they talked and whispered a thousand absurdities while the world around them slept.

At last he roused from a timeless interval of semi-conscious bliss, and murmured: ' 'Tis time for me to leave you, sweet, to get a few hours sleep. The dawn is on us. Look, the light is now quite strong where it creeps in between the curtains.'

'Nay, stay and love me yet a while,' she whispered drowsily. 'I could never have enough of you.'

'That ill consorts with your opinion of yesterday,' he rallied her.

She got up on one elbow, and leaned across him, smiling down into his face. 'I must have been a little crazy then, and we were both quite so last night. Our kisses have cured our affliction since, and we are sane again. You'll not leave here on Monday, as you threatened; will you, Roger?'

He was silent for a moment, then he said: 'I had no thought of doing so until our discussion on ourselves arose. But your contention then, that if we had the strength of mind to part while our passion was still unblunted, we might later cheat the Gods into giving us a second honeymoon, impressed me mightily.'

' 'Twas sound reasoning I'll admit. But this past night has given our passion a new lease of life; so there is now no point in our pre­cipitating the parting. Stay with me these next two months at least; for Stillwaters is a veritable lovers' paradise in the spring.'

'Hark!' he said suddenly; and in the stillness of the early morning they both caught the faint clatter of a horse's hoofs on stone.

'Who would be going out riding at this early hour?' he asked, with a puzzled frown.

She shrugged. 'I know not, neither do I care. One of the grooms most probably, taking a horse to exercise.'

'Nay. 'Tis Sunday, and no good groom would gallop a horse across the flagstones of the yard.'

'What boots it, anyway?' She gave him an impatient shake. 'Attend to me, Sir; and tell me if you will stay and love me through the spring.'

'Aye,' he smiled. 'Since 'tis your wish, dear witch, I will. None but the Gods can tell what may have befallen us by this time next year. So let us suck our golden orange till 'tis dry. We'll still have the rind, and in that lies the essential essence of the fruit; its quality of greatest value, like our sweet companionship.'

Georgina gave him a long kiss, and murmured: 'Well said, dear love. I am now content; and when thou hast left my side I shall fall asleep only to enjoy sweet dreams of thee.'

'Then I will leave thee now to my most fortunate dream image.'

As he made to rise she pushed him back, on a sudden thought occurring to her. 'That horse. Think you it could have been Vorontzoff leaving for London in a dudgeon?'

Roger shook his head. 'Nay. He came in a coach with outriders. He would not set out to return alone.'

'I would to God it was,' she sighed. 'How I'll face him when we next meet, I cannot think.'

'Then think not of it, angel. I'll stick by your side throughout the day;, so that he has no chance to corner you alone.'

'The sight of you beside me will infuriate him the more. After your visit to him last night 'tis a hundred to one that he guessed you to be my lover.'

'Were the odds a thousand to one I would not take them,' Roger laughed. 'I would wager any money that he slipped along the corridor after I left him to make certain that you were not alone. And discretion is not your major virtue, my pet. A score of times I have begged you to lower your voice when we are in here together, but you persistently ignore my counsel; so he is bound to have heard us.

'Oh, drat the man! the thought of him has now robbed me of all wish to sleep. Keep me company a while longer, dear one. Nibble my ear for a little, you know how I love that.'

'Thou art a veritable child,' he smiled. 'Turn over, then; and I'll indulge thee.'

For a few moments they lay quietly side by side while he gently teased the lobe of her right ear, then she said with a happy sigh: 'Oh, darling, 'tis the most lovely feeling; and I adore thee so. Thou hast but one single shortcoming.'

Stopping, he raised his head and asked in mock indignation.'And what may that be, pray?'

She giggled. 'That thou hast not two mouths with which to nibble both my ears at the same time.'

It was at that instant both of them caught the sound of heavy footsteps pounding along the corridor at a run. Jerking apart they sat up in bed. Georgina snatched at her nightdress. Roger stretched out a hand in an endeavour to reach his gown.

The crashing footfalls came to an abrupt halt outside the door. Suddenly it was thrown open, and a tall figure burst into the room.

The intruder paused just inside the doorway. He was a man of about thirty; fair-haired, red-faced, broad- shouldered. He was booted and spurred and his clothes were covered with dust. In his right hand he held a heavy riding crop that trailed a long lash; in his left a handker­chief with which he began to mop his perspiring face.

Roger had never seen him before, but he guessed instantly that this must be Georgina's husband.

Confirming his thought came her swift cry:' 'Humphrey! What brings you here? How dare you invade my privacy in this barbarous fashion!'

Slamming the door behind him Sir Humphrey Etheredge strode forward to the foot of the bed. 'And you, Madam!' he bellowed like an angry bull. 'How dare you commit your whoredoms in my house?'

' 'Tis not your house,' she retorted, her black eyes flashing. 'Stillwaters is mine for life under our marriage contract.'

'I care not!' he roared. 'I told you when last we met in London that you must be more circumspect in your affairs. I warned you that I would no longer tolerate being made an open mock of. I'll not sub­mit to being pointed at as a figure of fun to pleasure you or any other harlot!'